Ceiling lighting fixture assembly



Feb. 8, 1955 A. w. CARLSON CEILING LIGHTING FIXTURE ASSEMBLY 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29, 1952 5N V EN TORI) ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 8, 1955 A. w. CARLSON 2,701,840

CEILING LIGHTING FIXTURE ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2"I'M /Z7 26 a; L/JJ IN V EN TOR.

A TTURNE Y5.

Unitsd Sim 2,701,840 ie a e li b-fi 1.

. 70 840v i Y CEILING LIGHTING FIXTURE ASSEMBLY Allan W. Carlson,Hinsdale, "11]., assignor to Curtis Lighting, Inc., Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois Application August 29, 1952, Serial No. 306,980

2 Claims. (Cl. 240-78) This invention relates to a lighting fixtureassembly and more particularly to a ceiling fixture adapted to bemounted on or substantially flush in a suspended or normal ceilingstructure.

An object of this invention is to produce a new and improved ceilinglighting'fixture of the type described and it is a related objectto-produce an assembly of the type described characterized by improvedappearance by reason of the elimination or concealment of screws, nutsand latching devices visible in presentstructures.

Another object is to produce a lighting fixture of the type describedwhich is simple in construction and which permits access to the interiorthereof for cleaning, repair or replacement of parts without dismountingthe fixture from its position of use or dismantlingthe fixture from itsassembled relation.

A further object is to provide a ceiling lighting fixture of the typedescribed which permits access to the interior thereof from theunderside While in mounted relation to enable cleaning, repair orreplacement of parts in a simple and expedient manner. i

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention willhereinafter appear, and for purposes of illustration, but not oflimitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective elevational view of alighting fixture embodying features of this invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lighting fixture shown in Figure 1in its open relation;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevational view taken along the line 33 ofFigure 1;

. Figure 4 is a sectional elevational view taken the line 44 of Figure1;

Figure 5 is a sectional elevational view corresponding to that of Figure4, but illustrating the arrangement of parts in open position, and IFigure 6 is an enlarged sectional elevational view'illustrating themounting for the glass plate in the lighting fixture assembly.

As shown in the drawings, a lighting fixture embodying features of thisinvention for mounting in or on a ceiling 10 comprises a rectangularhousing 11 formed of spaced vertical side walls 12 and 13 withinterconnecting front and rear walls 14 and 15', respectively. The sideWalls are provided with an integral flange 16 extending outwardly fromthe lower edges thereof and having upturned ends 17 to define a channelgroove 18 which assists in establishing a proper mounted relation in theceiling structure. Flanges 19 and 20 extend inwardly a short distanceall around from the upper edges of the side walls and from the front andrear walls to define a frame and they are provided with openings 21adjacent the corner portions for fastening the housing into supports, asby means of screws or the like. The housing 11 is adapted to besubstantially permanently mounted in or on the ceiling in position ofuse. A flange 22 and a flange 23 extend inwardly from the lower edges ofthe front and rear walls, respectively to provide rests for the swingingdoor 24, as will hereinafter be described. A pair of pivot pins, whichmay be in the form of screws 26 or the like, are fixed in cap members 27to extend inwardly from the rearward and upper end portions of the sidewalls 12 and 13.

The door or closure 24 comprises a rectangular member of substantiallythe same shape as the housing having vertically disposed side walls 28and 29 spaced apart by door to open position.

2 an amount slightly less than the corresponding walls of the housingand front and rear walls 30 and 31 spaced from each other byan amountgreater thanthe distance between the inner ends of rests 22 and 23 butless than the distance between therear wall 15 of the housing and theinner end of the-front rest 22.

Flanges 32 and 33 extend inwardly from the lower edges of each of thewalls to provide a support for a glass lens 34 which may be frosted orclear, or contoured to provide an attractive appearance and proper lighttransmission. from a light source adapted to be illuminated within thehousing. Instead of a lens or window of the type described, use may bemade of other rigid panels formed of plastics, metal, woodor a doorformed of similar materials with louvers and the like. While the lens orwindow 34 is dimensioned to be greater than the opening formed by theflanges 32 and 33, so that the edge portions rest upon said flanges,frictional members 35 are provided in the side walls withinwardlyextending fingers 36 adapted resiliently to engage the uppersurface of the lens, louver or both for maintaining a desired assembledrelation. 7 Front flange 33 and rear flange 33 which extend inwardlyfrom the lower edges of the front and rear walls, respectively, haverecesses 37 formed in their undersides to extend inwardly from the edgesby an amount to provide a spaced relation between the recesses which isslightly less than the distance between the inner edges of the flanges33 and 33 thereby to enable the door properly to be positioned withinthe housing in mounted relation as the rests 22 and 23 seat within therecesses to support the door in position of use. When it is desired togain access to the interior of the housing, the rearward portion of thedoor is raised to enable flange 33 to clear rest 23 so as to enablerearward displacement of the door until the front wall 30 clears theinner edge of the front rest 22. The door can thereafter be rockeddownwardly through the opening in the housing to permit access from theunderside.

In order to provide for the desired movement without removal of the doorfrom its assembled relation, a hinged assembly is provided consisting ofan arcuate groove 39 in the upper rearward portion of each side wall 28and 29, through which the pivot pins or screws 26 extend. Each groove isformed with a horizontally disposed elongate section 40 integral withthe forward end. The section is dimensioned to be slightly greater inlength than the amount that the door is adapted to be displaced betweenits mounted relation and its oifset position for clearing the inner edgeof the rest 22 when swinging the I The elongate portion of the groove isalso vertically dimensioned to be slightly greater than the amount whichthe rearward portion of the door is raised to clear the flange 23 forenabling rearward displacement of the door for swinging to openposition.

When in the normally closed position, as illustrated in Figure 4, therests 22 and 23 extend into the recesses 37 to support the door withoutdanger of inadvertent displacement or opening. When in this position,the pivot pin 26 extends through the opening at about the upper andrearward portion of the elongate grooves 40.

When it is desired to gain access to the interior of the fixture, it isonly necessary to raise the rearward end portion of the door, as shownin Figure 5, by an amount permitted by the slot as the pivot pin 26rises to engage the housing Wall whereby the flange 33 clears the rest23 to permit rearward displacement of the door until the pivot pin isengaged by the wall defining the forward end of the elongate slot 40, oruntil the rear wall 31 engages the wall 15. Under these circumstances,the front wall 30 clears the rest 22 and permits the door to be rockeddownwardly through the opening about the pivot pin 20 to the positionshown by the broken lines in Figure 5. Because of the arcuate characterof the slot in which the pivot pins are slidable, the door is actuatedin a forward direction responsive to its rocking movement to openposition.

To return the door to closed position, it is only necessary to rock thedoor upwardly about the pivot pin whereby the door automatically shiftsrearwardly to perrun the forward edge to be' raised into the housing.When the wall 30 has cleared rest 22-, the door may beshi-fited-- 1forwardly until the rearward flange 33 drops by gravitational force toseat rests 23 in recesses 37. Thereafter the forward. end portion of thedoor may be lowered to restposition.

It will be apparent from; this descriptionthat there is provided asimple lighting fixture capable of preassembly mounting in position ofHSC'fiIld which enables the door forming the underside ofifithe fixtureto be rocked between open and closed position to: permit access to theinterior of the fixturewithout disengagement of parts, and without theuse of special tools. Thus, aelighting fixture of the type described maybeassembled at dis taut stations for mounting in a ceiling structure,and opening and closing, thereof in use, may be effected a simple and:expedient manner. The elements may be cleaned without removal since fullaccess to the interior can be had from below without the separation ofparts thereby to eliminate the possibility of breakage or fallen glass.

A further advantageresulting from an assembly of the type describedresides in the elimination of screws, hinges, latches. and the likeordinarily visible frombelow to mar the appearance of the lightingfixture when in position of use.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the details ofconstruction, arrangement and operation without departing from the.spirit of the invention, especially asdefined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A ceiling lighting. fixture comprising a rectangular housing havingmeans for attachment to the ceiling structure in position of use,flanges extending inwardly from the lower edgesof the front and rearwalls of the housing to define an open space therebetween, a rectangulardoor shaped to correspond to that of the housing and having a lengthdimensioned to be greater than the distance between the inner ,ends' ofthe, flanges but less than the distance between the inner end of oneflange and the wall from which. the other extends whereby the dooroverlaps the flanges and rests thereon while in position of use and isable to clear one flange when shifted more completely toward the wall ofthe other whereby the door may be rocked through. the space between theflanges of the housing between open and closed positions, recessesextending inwardly from opposite edges of the underside of thedoor anddimensioned to correspond to the spaced relation between the inner endsof the flanges thereby to provide a seat for said flanges when the dooris in closed position, and means pivotally interconnecting the housingand door for maintaining the assembled relation during swinging movementof the door between open and closed positions, including an arcuate slotin one and a pin in the other of adjacent side walls in one end of thehousing and door in which the pin is spaced from the forward. endportion of the slot and spaced from the lower edge thereof by an amountto permit the correspending end section of the door to be raised fromits seated position to clear the corresponding flange and in which thespaced relation of the pin from the forward edge of the slot is of alength greater than the width of the recess to enable the raised door tobe displaced sufficiently rearwardly to clear the corresponding oppositeflange for rocking movement through the opening in'the housing betweenopen andv closed positions.

2. A ceiring lighting fixture comprising a rectangular housing'having:means for attachment to the ceiling structure in position of use,flanges extending inwardly from the lower edges of the front and rearwalls of the housing to define an open space therebet'ween', arectangular door shaped to correspond to that of the housing and havinga length dimensioned to be greater than the distance between the innerends of the flanges but less than the distance between the inner end ofone flange and the wall from, which theother extends whereby the dooroverlaps the flanges and rests thereon while in position oi use and isable to clear one flange when shifted. more completely toward the wallof the other whereby the door may be rocked through the space betweenthe flanges of the housing between ,open and closed positions, recessesextending inwardly from opposite edges of the underside of the door anddimensioned to correspond to the spaced relation between the inner ends01; the flanges therebyto provide a seat for said flanges when the dooris in closed position, and means pivotally interconnecting the housingand door for maintaining the assembled relation during swinging movementof the door between open and closed positions, including an arcuate slotin one and. a pin. in the other of adjacent side walls in one end of thehousing and door and in which the forward end portion of the arcuateslot is formed with a contiguous forwardly extending slot dimensioned tohave a height greater than the depth of the recess and in whichthe pinis spaced from the bottom wall thereof when in closed position to permitthe door to be raised from its seatedposition to clear the correspondingflange and in which the pinis spaced from. the forward edge of the slotby an amount greater thanthe width of the recess to enable the raiseddoor to be displaced rearwardly suifi cientl'y to clear thecorresponding flange for rockingmovemeut through the opening: in thehousing between open and closed positions.

References Cited in the-file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,923,787 Larsen Aug. 22, 1933 2,277,618 Utter Mar. 24, 194-2 2,329,268-He'ath Sept. 14, 1943 2,427,084 Alderman Sept. 9, 1947 2,440,603 Guth.'c Apr. 27, 1948 2,579,015 Schoenbrod Dec. 18, 1951 2,587,920 StubbsMar. 4, 1952

